The present invention relates to connection setting programs, methods and apparatus for setting or establishing logical connection between a plurality of devices interconnected via a communication network, and more particularly to an improved connection setting program, method and apparatus that facilitate setting or establishment of logical connection between network-connected devices.
Music systems have been known which are arranged to communicate (transmit and receive) music data, such as waveform data (audio waveform sample data) and performance data (performance event data like MIDI data), in communication networks constructed in accordance with predetermined communication standards, such as the IEEE1394 standard. Among the music systems is a music system developed by the assignee of the instant application and called “mLAN” (trademark). In these music systems, a plurality of nodes, such as a control device (e.g., personal computer) and music devices (synthesizers, tone generators, recorders, mixers, etc.), are interconnected to provide the music system, and waveform data and MIDI data streams of a plurality of channels can be isochronously transferred from a given one of the nodes to two or more others of the nodes via a plurality of isochronous channels defined in accordance with the above-mentioned communication standard. Each of the nodes can increase the number of the channels of the waveform data stream, which is to be output therefrom, up to the number of waveform output plugs provided in the node, and it can also increase the number of the channels of the MIDI data stream, which is to be output therefrom, up to the number of MIDI output plugs provided in the node. Further, in the music system, each of the nodes can transmit to one or more of the isochronous channels, and waveform data and MIDI data streams of a plurality of channels can be transferred even via one such isochronous channel. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. HEI-10-32606 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,181 discloses an invention concerning such a music system.
Further, devices for interconnecting, as desired, input/output lines of various music devices, such as keyboards, sequencers and mixers, are generally known as “patch bays”. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2001-203732 corresponding to US2003/0021188A1 discloses an invention concerning such a patch bay for logically setting a desired connection between devices (nodes) interconnected via a communication network as noted above. Music data are transmitted from a transmitting (i.e., output-side) node to a receiving node which have been appropriately set, via the patch bay, for logical connection.
With the above-discussed conventional systems, merely physically connecting the music device to the network can not establish logical connection between the music devices and thus can not achieve data communication to and from the music device. In order to permit data communication to and from the music device newly connected to the network, it is necessary for the user to establish logical connection of the music device by starting up an application program for the patch bay (i.e., patch bay program), as disclosed in the No. 2001-203732 publication, on a personal computer connected to the network. Such operation by the user tends to be very cumbersome and laborious. Besides, because merely physically connecting the music device to the network can not cause the music device to operate, a beginner or novice user of the patch bay program, who does not know that logical connection of the music device has to be set by the user himself or herself starting up the patch bay program, would often misjudge that something is wrong with the music device or communication network, which results in significant inconveniences.